Brand is the internal and external perception of a company or its products.

Branding is the act of defining how customers should feel about a company or its products (the brand promise), and the use of strategy and tactics to shape the way they actually feel about that company or its products.

 

Logos, slogans, signage, TV Commercials, websites or advertising is NOT the brand.

 

Branding is dependent on marketing to shape perceptions, and marketing is dependent on the brand promise to define what shape it is trying to promote. Without a brand promise, marketing has no message, no purpose. Without purpose, the effectiveness of marketing is diminished. Materials will have nothing to say or connect to, and the resulting impression will extend to the overall brand.